D&D 5E How can the whip be optimized as a weapon?

[Dotarsojat]

Do you think that a duel wielder Order of the Ghostslayer bloodhunter would work with two whips or a whip and a rapier?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Do you think that a duel wielder Order of the Ghostslayer bloodhunter would work with two whips or a whip and a rapier?

Def works thematically.

 

[Dotarsojat]

I wanted to go for a Belmont like character from CastleVania and I thought that since the Bloodhunter can put a rite on their weapons it could make up for the weak base damage of the whip.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I wanted to go for a Belmont like character from CastleVania and I thought that since the Bloodhunter can put a rite on their weapons it could make up for the weak base damage of the whip.

Yeah, that’d probably work, and the Ghost Slayer or whatever it’s called would be a good Belmont.

 

[BadgerChillsky]

Agree with you now that I understand it was just to have it for an alternate range for triggering OAs, not for two weapon fighting use.

I have seen things before (JC's sage advice?) about multiple ranges for leaving range, I believe it does work like you mention.

FrogRanger is correct that you don’t need TWF to dual wield, but AO requires you to use your reaction, which you still have one of per round, even with two weapons. Of course you could talk to your DM and see how they feel about it, maybe you can convince them to give an extra reaction with the offhand. That would be pretty awesome.

 

[BadgerChillsky]

Oh I just had a great idea. Barbarian 3 / Rogue X. The whip extends your OA range which makes you a better defender. I actually like it. I think it's a big improvemnt.

There’s a new UA (Giant Options), that has a new Barbarian subclass called Path of the Giant. One of the 3rd level abilities makes you large and extends your reach by 5ft when you rage. (And worth noting, the way it’s worded the two happen independently, so even if you can’t become large for some reason your reach still extends.)

I’m working on a character concept using that so I can have a 15ft threat range with Sentinel. I’m thinking about making it a Kobold, cause pack tactics is awesome, and I think a large Kobold is funny plus Kobold gives a bump to AC, so that fits. I think I’d name him Crikey, and give him an Australian accent with a Crocodile Dundee style hat. And of course he’d have a big bowie knife

 

[BadgerChillsky]

Another argument for Rogue is that while sneak attack is limited to once per turn, it’s not limited to the rogue’s own turn. So you can get sneak attack damage on AO’s. Another idea I was playing with is Rogue with Gloom Stalker Ranger. While in darkness It allows you to essentially be invisible to anything using dark vision, so you automatically have advantage. Downside is it requires you to be in darkness, so it won’t be helpful in some situations.

 

[BadgerChillsky]

Hexadin should be fun, but a straight rogue would also be fun. You want a build where weapon damage die just doesn’t matter, and that doesn’t require your target be within 5ft.

Rogue/Battlemaster with two whips could be really fun. Most maneuvers don’t even specify melee, much less 5ft, so you could do a lot with the secondary effects and a build they can’t easily get to. Combine that with Sentinel, and they also can’t escape you?

Pushing Attack and Tripping Attack are both always great options in combat, especially with reach. And if you add Sentinel to the mix, you can stop an enemy before they even get to you. They try to close with you, triggering an AO from Sentinel, and you hit them with one of those two maneuvers. Either they get pushed back, having to repeat it the next round, or you knock them prone. At that point they would have to use the rest of their movement to get up, if they even have enough left. If they can’t get up, now everyone gets advantage on their attacks against them.

 

[Blue]

FrogRanger is correct that you don’t need TWF to dual wield, but AO requires you to use your reaction, which you still have one of per round, even with two weapons. Of course you could talk to your DM and see how they feel about it, maybe you can convince them to give an extra reaction with the offhand. That would be pretty awesome.

This really doesn't have anything to do with what was being discussed.

The concept that @Esker had brought up was to have a whip in one hand and a non-reach weapon in the other, not necessarily to use for TWF, but to have both a 5' range and a 10' range melee weapons to have more chances to trigger an OA.

There was no discussion about more than than one OA a turn, just more chances to trigger the single one the character has by having more range increments a foe might exit.